Ski+board’s summer sister | SUMMER 2015
ELECTRIFIED BIKING
Turn up the voltage and you’ll be flying up mountains
HITTING THE HIGH NOTES
The Sound of Music turns 50 this year
MAKING A SPLASH
Coasteering Dorset’s Jurassic Coast
LIVING ON THE EDGE Following in the footsteps of Edward Whymper 150 years after his conquest of the Matterhorn publication
South Tyrol ... Italy with a twist
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Editor’s note Photo: Melody Sky
I’m scared of heights. There, I’ve said it. Not to the extent that cable cars freak me out, or tall buildings for that matter. They’re fine. It’s exposed heights that make my stomach turn. So you can imagine my terror when, two summers ago, I found myself in Vallorcine — Chamonix’s neighbouring village — faced with the prospect of a day’s climbing. Fear. Fear that could only be made worse by the fact that the rest of the group were all seasoned climbers. They had all the kit — their own harnesses, ropes, climbing shoes and an endless assortment of clips and carabiners. And then there was me. Dressed in what looked like scruffy school PE kit, and feeling like the boy who is always last to be picked for the playground football team. At the foot of the mountain things went from bad to worse. I was relegated to join a group of French schoolchildren who at 12 years old were enjoying their first lesson, while the rest of my former group shot heavenwards. Six hours later — all the time muttering to myself “don’t look down” — I hadn’t made it past the introductory climbing route. It’s unsurprising, therefore, how much admiration I hold for Edward Whymper and his team of climbers, who were the first to scale the Matterhorn,150 years ago this summer. At the time the Swiss mountain attracted a reverence on a par with Everest. Sadly, however, it was a success that would be marred by disaster on their descent, with four of the party falling to their deaths. Reading Whymper’s 1908 guide The Valley of Zermatt and the Matterhorn there is a palpable sense of his drive and ambition to conquer uncharted areas, but also of his admiration and love of the mountains. With Switzerland having recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of winter tourism in the mountains, it is easy to forget the original allure of the Alps to the British was as a summer destination. As members of the Ski Club, we are driven by a passion for winter. But does that blind us to the attraction of the mountains in summer? As Elevation’s correspondent Anthony Lambert discovered, you don’t need to be a hardcore climber to enjoy the views that Whymper experienced on the first part of his ascent of the Matterhorn. In the run-up to the anniversary celebrations, Lambert followed in the trail of Whymper, but wisely turned back before the going got tough. And I think we can draw comfort from the fact that his experience was no less enjoyable for that.
EDITOR Ben Clatworthy ben.clatworthy@skiclub.co.uk EXECUTIVE EDITOR Colin Nicholson colin.nicholson@skiclub.co.uk ART DIRECTOR Nicole Wiedemann MEDIA SALES Madison Bell madisonbell.com 020 7389 0835 OVERSEAS MEDIA SALES Martina Diez-Routh martina.diez-routh@skiclub.co.uk +44 (0) 7508 382 781 PUBLISHER Ski Club of Great Britain London SW19 5SB skiclub.co.uk 020 8410 2000 DISTRIBUTION Jellyfish Print Solutions
Cover photo: Swiss-image.ch
© Ski Club of Great Britain 2015 ISSN 1369-8826
Ben Clatworthy Elevation Editor
The Ski Club cannot be held responsible for any unsolicited material. Elevation is printed by Precision Colour Printing, Stirchley, Telford TF7 4QQ
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Anthony Lambert, author of Switzerland without a Car, heads to Zermatt to follow in the footsteps of the first climbers of the Matterhorn
Alf Alderson, an awardwinning adventure travel writer, heads to the US to tackle some of the world’s most challenging rapids
Elevation
Rosie Barcroft, a specialist in adventure sports, heads to Dorset’s Jurassic Coast to try her hand at coasteering — climbing cliffs and jumping into the sea
SUMMER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
Michael Cranmer is an avid skier, so the prospect of any sport that involves powering uphill isn’t one he relishes. That was until he tried electric-mountain biking
Contents
Summer 2015 8
Exposure A selection of eye-catching shots — from skiing in southern Africa to road biking in the UK
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You Say Letters from readers, including lonely hearts, holiday reviews and the best of the blog
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The latest skiing and summer news, including a ban on photographs with Saint Bernard dogs
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Photo: Swiss-image.ch
News
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Matterhorn On the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn, we relive the dramatic events of July 1865
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As the iconic film turns 50, we send our writer to experience the lure of the mountains in summer
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Photo: Medialounge
The Sound of Music
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Rafting
Coasteering
E-biking
Technology
Our writer heads into the American wilderness to tackle some of the world’s most challenging rapids
Take the plunge and discover one of the fastest growing water sports in the UK
Who says uphill is the hardest part? Not in Kitzbühel, where e-bikes are on hand to take the strain
Whether you’re off on a hiking trip, or a day in the countryside, we feature the latest must-have gear
Elevation
SUMMER 2015
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CYCLISTS Unknown LOCATION Near John O’Groats, Scotland PHOTOGRAPHER Finn Pomeroy 950 miles down, just a few to go. This shot, taken on the final day of the Deloitte Ride Across Britain, shows three riders on the home straight to John O’Groats. The cyclists were facing a strong headwind making it incredibly hard conditions. I had scoped this spot earlier in the day, and climbed up a small rock face to set up the shot. It’s a great vista to the left, but I also wanted to include the glittering lake. Fortunately, after waiting for some time, the sun shone through just as the riders came into frame.
Elevation
SUMMER 2015
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LOCATION Mount Hood, Oregon, US PHOTOGRAPHER Zach Dischner Having spent a week shooting around Mount Hood a couple of summers ago, I decided, on the last day, I would catch a sunset. However, I misjudged the timing and ended up finding a great spot about three hours before the sun began to set. But it didn’t matter: I had two cameras, and three lenses with me. So, I settled down, I twiddled my thumbs, played with the settings, and took about 1,000 pictures.
SKIER Jimmy Petterson LOCATION Tiffindell, South Africa PHOTOGRAPHER Erik Petterson Believe it or not, southern Africa has two ski ‘resorts’. Although only one, Tiffendell — pictured here — consistently offers skiing during the winter, generally from June until September. Tiffendell has a long and a short draglift and a couple of beginners’ rope tows. When Mother Nature complies, the long lift is operational, and skiers can enjoy a piste of 100 vertical meters. During our visit, only the short slope was open, offering a vertical drop of 65m. The piste has a reasonable gradient, and when my father worked at making short turns, he could squeeze in about 50 on the run.
COMPETITOR Unknown LOCATION Courchevel, France PHOTOGRAPHER Jerome Kelagopian Who said ski jumping was only a winter sport? The FIS (International Ski Federation) Ski Jumping Grand Prix is now in its 25th year, and sees the world’s best jumpers from the winter circuit battle it out over the course of the summer. Here a competitor has just launched off the K-120 jump. Ask anyone whether they prefer falling on grass or snow and the answer is clear: both leave you aching. Courchevel: August 13-14.
Elevation
SUMMER 2015
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BOARDER Jamie Nicholls LOCATION Hemel Hempstead, England PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Pattenden I noticed this spot while scouting a few days before Jamie Nicholls’ latest stunt at The Snow Centre. It was his last trick of the day, and it was the one shot I really wanted to nail. The downside to picking such an unusual spot was that I couldn’t see when Jamie was coming, so someone had to count down as he was about to hit the jump. It took a few attempts to get the shot, as I only had about half a second. Third time lucky, I had the shot. The video will be released in the autumn.
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Skier: Russ Shay, Owner, Surefoot
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YOU SAY... SKI CLUB MEMBERS LOOKING FOR LOVE
MOST READ ON THE BLOG
Ski Club of Great Britain To:
1. Chemmy Alcott Basi training Britain’s former number one skier is learning to teach skiing, and sends us her latest dispatch from Hintertux
skiers@skiclub.co.uk
Cc: Subject: Ski Club singles?!
2. Five resorts you’ve never heard of Did you know you can ski in Lebanon, Georgia or Turkey? Find out the other two countries on the blog
Dear Ski Club, I’m sticking my neck out a little here. I am fairly recently in the 'singles' camp and exploring ways to meet new potential partners. I’ve met one or two on previous Ski Club holidays, but that only comes around a few times each winter. How about a Ski Club singles pub evening, or even dating branch on the Ski Club site?
3. The A-Z skiing bucket list Our web team have selected 26 resorts from around the globe for you to tick off. Let us know when you’re done
Tina
4. A licence to thrill in Andermatt Beth Begg reports on the resort’s new developments as she joins a Freshtracks holiday 5. On the trail of 007 in Sölden James Bond returns to our screens this autumn. Chris Taine has been following in his footsteps in Sölden
PRAISE FOR FRESHTRACKS HOLIDAYS LAST SEASON
To read any of the above stories, see skiclubgb.wordpress.com
Developing a taste for learning
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The Les Deux Alpes development course was my first experience with the Ski Club and I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The ski standard rating system really works — our group were well matched, which made for a relaxed atmosphere. And I’m now motivated to do more and develop my skiing. Harriet Orr
Wonderful guide got the party started
theskiclub
This was my first Premier Party holiday and I arrived with some nervousness. The snow in Val d’Isère looked as though it would be dire, however, for the first three days we had a wonderful mountain guide who found superb powder snow. Having a party of 90 meant that I found many people whose company I really enjoyed. Nick Goslett
It’s all down to technique The Technique Top Up in Courmayeur proved to be an excellent holiday. The formula of alternating lessons with days with a Leader was a great way to progress. David Simpson
Elevation
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SUMMER 2015
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Ski Club of Great Britain The White House 57-63 Church Road Wimbledon Village London SW19 5SB
Or email ben.clatworthy@skiclub.co.uk
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SKI CLUB NEWS SKI CLUB TO LAUNCH NEW INSURANCE DEAL
CLUB MEMBERS SUPPORT BRITISH SKIING Ben Clatworthy The Ski Club of Great Britain is set to announce a new awards and recognition programme, Inspire, which will see 50 pence of every annual membership subscription invested in promoting and developing British snowsports. Three bursaries will be launched, while the Club also hopes to increase the awareness of its existing awards, which are targeted at British elite athletes. The bursaries focus on introducing schoolchildren to snowsports as well as helping existing student ski societies. The Thomas Lang Bursary will be awarded to six schools with a desire to introduce pupils to snowsports. Both primary and secondary schools will be eligible to apply for the £500 grants. A bursary has also been allocated to recognise university snowsports clubs. Both established and new clubs will be able to apply for £500 of funding, which will be awarded to three universities, totalling £1,500. A new ‘members fund’ will be launched whereby Club members can apply for fundraising of up to £500 for a community, environmental or creative project that has sustainable snowsports at its core. Frank McCusker, Ski Club chief executive, said: “These new awards are a fantastic way of enhancing British skiing at a grassroots level and help in identifying the next generation of elite athletes.” The new bursaries will run alongside the already established Pery Medal and Evie Pinching Award, which recognise the success of British athletes.
Following a consultation with members, the Ski Club has announced that it is to change its insurance offering this winter. Frank McCusker, Ski Club chief executive, said: “When undertaking this review we were looking to improve on three key areas: the level and breadth of cover, member support and service, and price. “With improved medical, cancellation and missed departure cover plus Fogg Medicard provided as standard on all policies we have a product for all our members, regardless of age, at a price the competition will find hard to match.” Full details of the new Ski Club Insurance will be announced in July, with policies available from September 1. Existing Ski Club Insurance policies will remain valid until their expiry date.
CALLING ALL STUDENTS In an attempt to engage younger members of the winter sports community, the Ski Club is to launch a website and new membership tier dedicated to students. The new membership will be offered to all students booking university ski trips with Wasteland Ski, one of the UK’s biggest tour operators dedicated to the student market. The website, Line-S — aimed at 18 to 22 year olds — will feature content written by students, as well as photo galleries and videos. Line-S will launch in the autumn, ahead of the new academic year. Line-s.co.uk.
LEADERS’ COURSE MOVES TO ZERMATT The Ski Club has said it will move its annual Leaders training course from Tignes, where it has been held for 20 years, to Zermatt in Switzerland. The move was announced in May at a Leaders’ debrief day in London. It comes in the wake of a French court hearing which found one of the Club’s Leaders guilty of illegally teaching skiing. The Club is appealing the court’s decision. Jonny Cassidy, Freshtracks manager, said: “We’ve had many great years in Tignes running the course but because of the restrictions on Leading in France, we are relocating our course. “Zermatt is a very popular destination with Ski Club members and offers ideal terrain for training our Leaders along with an excellent early season snow record.” The Club operates its Leader service in 18 resorts in six countries.
CLUB NIGHTS FOR THOSE MISSING THE SNOW For members missing the snow, the Club has partnered with The Snow Centre at Hemel Hempstead to launch Club nights. The evenings allow members two hours’ skiing for £20. The next Club night is on July 8. There will be a break in August. From September 2 the sessions will take place every week on Wednesday evenings.
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SKIING NEWS BUTLER HAILS SURPRISE VICTORY IN FRANCE
Simon Butler speaks to a reporter outside court in April 2014
Colin Nicholson Ski+board editor Simon Butler, the British ski instructor facing jail on a charge of teaching skiing without proper qualifications, has hailed a dramatic reversal in his fortunes and has vowed to start teaching again in the French resort of Megève this coming season. On April 28, an appeal court at Chambéry overturned Butler’s convictions of failing to declare paperwork and breaking employment law. And the case regarding his eligibility to teach has now been referred to a civil court, with the judge at Chambéry saying he will make his final decision once he hears the outcome of that case. “It’s more than I dared hope for,” Butler told Ski+board. “I’m a lot more confident now.” A court at Bonneville last year sentenced Butler to a year’s imprisonment (of which eight months were suspended) and fines of up to €30,000 for him and six instructors he employed. Butler, 52, has run instructional ski holidays in Megève since 1992 and employs instructors qualified according to Basi (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) standards. The case centred on whether their qualifications are equivalent to those of French instructors. The fact that the conviction over qualifications has gone to a civil, administrative court is critical, as even if that court’s decision goes against Butler a further appeal would be heard by an EU court. The current belief in France is that only those British instructors who have reached Basi Level 4 are qualified to teach in France. And since the early 2000s they have to also pass the Eurotest speed test. However, this is in question because the vast majority of instructors have not met the criterion of this exacting race. They are allowed to practise because they have either claimed ‘grandfather’ rights, by virtue of being instructors before the test’s introduction, or are long-term stagières (trainees). At court in Bonneville last year, Philippe Planes, Butler’s defence lawyer, finished his defence by giving the three judges a dossier outlining the fact there are 17 criteria by which ski instructors can practise in France. That court found Butler guilty, but he appealed the decision as well as a conviction from 2013 of failing to declare paperwork. The two appeals were heard together by the court in Chambéry. Butler is backed by Jean-Yves Lapeyrère, who represents outdoor companies in the EU, and would love to see the rules relaxed, not just for ski instruction, but for other sports such as windsurfing. Lapeyrère said he was “absolutely delighted” by the verdict.
Elevation
SUMMER 2015
INSTRUCTOR’S BATTLE WITH BASI ESCALATES Simon Butler’s battle with the British Association of Snowsport Instructors is continuing as an Edinburgh court mulls his case against Basi. Basi wrote to Butler last season expressing concern that he was teaching in Megève, despite saying he would only do so in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Butler says he was only teaching his own children, 8 and 6, in France last season. Butler is claiming ‘grandfather’ rights, having achieved the highest level of instruction in the British system before 2000, but says Basi has denied him the Memorandum of Understanding stamp it issues to suitably qualified instructors. Basi says he failed to exercise his rights.
KEY COUNTRIES LEAVE ISIA France has said that it will withdraw from the International Ski Instructors Association, an announcement that was closely followed by similar statements from Austria and Italy. The exodus puts the practical future of the ISIA in question. The body promotes collaboration in respect of ski technique and safety, ensuring high standards of practice. The exit of three of the most important Alpine countries from the group of 40 nations highlights the lack of agreement over qualifications.
NEW SKI FLIGHT AXED A new flight from Gatwick to Reno, Nevada, operated by Thomas Cook Airlines has been axed before leaving the ground. The service — which was due to begin operation in December — was designed to substantially reduce travel time for skiers heading to resorts in California. The tour operator blamed issues with the US Customs and Border Protection Agency. “Our customers are likely to still receive substantial delays of at least three hours to clear US Customs,” it said in a statement. It means travellers from the UK must continue to fly to San Francisco, from where road transfers to many resorts take in the region of four hours.
skiclub.co.uk
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SUMMER NEWS DAREDEVIL DEFIES DEATH IN SWISS HIGH-WIRE WALK
SURF’S UP IN SNOWDONIA! UK’S FIRST WAVE GARDEN TO OPEN THIS SUMMER Alf Alderson Pembrokeshire
An extreme high-wire artist has broken a world record after he crossed a tightrope suspended 3,532m (11,588ft) high between two Swiss mountain tops. Freddy Nock, 50, from Switzerland, walked the 347m tightrope unassisted, without any safety ropes, between the Biancograt and Piz Prievlus peaks in the Graubünden region. His latest stunt adds to his long list of Guinness World Records, which include the fastest skywalk between two hot air balloons, and the longest cable walk.
We’ve all heard of — and maybe even used — artificial ski slopes, and now surfing is getting in on the act with the world’s first ‘Wavegarden’ set to open in North Wales on August 1. Surf Snowdonia is a wave park that will produce relatively hollow waves that will travel for 720 feet along a ‘lagoon’, providing rides of up to 18 seconds long. The facility, which is designed with children and beginners in mind, is expected to attract 70,000 visitors a year. It will offer safe, controlled, predictable waves on demand. However, experienced surfers will also be able to use the wave garden as a competition training ground. The development was due to open in early July but has been delayed by a fire on the site in May. Karin Frisch, marketing manager at Wavegarden, said: “It has taken ten years of intense research and development to work out how to make the kind of perfect waves you’ll see at Surf Snowdonia.” The site will also have other facilities including children’s play areas, cafés and on-site accommodation in camping pods. Surf lessons including board hire start from £19 per hour.
Snow+Rock — the UK’s largest outdoor retailer — has been sold to the AS Adventure Group. The company has 45 shops in the UK. AS Adventure Group already owns Cotswold Outdoor in the UK, and operates a network of shops in Europe. “We look forward to working with these exciting brands, helping to maximise their potential and therefore, the potential of the whole AS Adventure Group,” said the group’s chief executive, Frederic Hufkens. No mention was made as to the cost of buying Snow+Rock, or whether jobs will be at risk. The company was last sold in 2010. AS Adventure is valued at £300 million.
HORROR AS FRENCH BULL KILLS HIKER
WHISTLER STUBS OUT
Ben Clatworthy A hiker has been gored to death by a bull in front of his wife, while walking in the French Alps. The horrifying killing took place near the mountain village of Réallon in the Hautes-Alpes region. The 59-year-old victim — who remains unnamed — was said to be enjoying a Sunday stroll in the Ecrins National Park, in south east France. However, as the pair crossed a field full of cows, the bull came charging towards them. “The victim was knocked over and then gored in a thigh,” said a police spokesman, who said the man suffered a severed artery. The man also suffered severe head injuries. He was airlifted from the scene, but was pronounced dead before reaching hospital. The Ecrins National Park, a European protected area, attracts some 800,000 visitors a year, many of them from Britain.
SNOW+ROCK IS SOLD
Canada’s biggest ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb, has banned smoking — both indoors and outdoors. The ban — which came into force on May 31 — prohibits smoking anywhere on Whistler Blackcomb property, including the resort’s base area, lift queues, chairlifts, ski runs, hiking trails and Whistler Mountain Bike Park trails. Smoking will also be banned on resortowned restaurant patios. “We made the decision to introduce a smoke-free policy to preserve the alpine environment,” Dave Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb’s president said.
ski-club half page 2014.pdf
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Photo: Swiss-image.ch
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The perfect chalet experience ZERMATT BANS ICONIC DOG PHOTOS Ben Clatworthy Selfies have been back in the headlines recently, following a spate of bans on ‘selfie sticks’. Now in Switzerland photographic self-portraits with one national icon — the Saint Bernard dog — have been banned. C The ski resort of Zermatt has outlawed visitors from taking selfies with the emblematic dog amid accusations M of ill-treatment. The Swiss Animal Protection Agency (PSA),Y called for the ban, claiming that some dogs used in the CM resort were not taken for walks and were left “for long MY periods without food or water”. “They are made to wait long hours in the cold outdoorsCY for photographs,” the PSA wrote in a report published last CMY week. The organisation also claimed five dogs in the resort K were kept “in miserable conditions”, in a decrepit house that breaches animal protection laws. The PSA has filed a formal compliant against one Zermatt photography company, which offered tourists the opportunity to take selfies with a Saint Bernard. A spokesperson for the resort said the subsequent selfie ban took immediate effect following the accusations. “No Saint Bernard dogs will be used for photo shoots with tourists,” Christoph Bürgin, Zermatt’s mayor said. However, some existing contracts with Japanese holiday firms stipulate the photos will be offered this summer. Because of this, the mayor warned that some tours “may involve one or more photo shoots” but said the contracts would be amended for next year. The dogs, often pictured with a barrel of rum under the neck, have long been used by mountain rescue services in the search for avalanche victims. The breed is known for its excellent sense of direction, and resilience to the cold. However, in recent years the dogs, which can weigh in excess of 85kg, have been made redundant by mountain rescue services, who opt for more nimble breeds. Animal laws in Switzerland are some of the toughest in the world. The law states that guinea pigs must be kept with a companion — to prevent boredom — while pet owners wishing to dispose of goldfish must do so following strict procedures.
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MATTERHORN
All photos: Swiss-image.ch
Going up is heavenly‌
MATTERHORN
… it’s the coming down that can end in disaster Reaching the summit of the Matterhorn was a historic triumph for Edward Whymper and his team of fellow climbers. However their achievement would be marred by disaster on their descent. 150 years later, Anthony Lambert visits Zermatt to discover the legacy of the ill-fated first ascent Sitting beside the tiny Schwarzsee late — which translates as the “Black Lake” — in bright sunshine, it’s easy to appreciate why so many postcards of the Matterhorn are taken from this viewpoint. I’d reached the tarn using the 10km Matterhorn Trail which starts in Zermatt. Walking heightened my sense of anticipation, and gave me a greater feel for the beauty of the mountain’s foothills, as I followed in the footsteps of a far hardier Briton than I, Edward Whymper. Leaving the car-free town the trail climbs steadily along the west side of the Zmuttbach river through flower-filled meadows and woods to reach the Zmutt. This quaint hamlet is a knot of weathered slate-roofed houses and a good place to stop for a drink or a lunch of Valaisian ham and cheese. The trail then continues along the valley — with periodic, but stunning glimpses of the Matterhorn — before diving down to cross a hydro-electric dam. From here, you climb steeply, on a narrow switchback path, before joining a cross-country ski trail, which winds its way though larch woods, and provides welcome shade from the sun, which was beating down on me. Once at the tree line, the mighty Matterhorn comes into view properly as the path ascends to the Schwarzsee.
Elevation
SUMMER 2015
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MATTERHORN
The snowcapped Matterhorn looms over Zermatt
It’s here — sitting in the shadow of the revered mountain — that my thoughts turn to the hardy men who first scaled the Matterhorn. Few mountains in the world are so associated with a single climb, and I wonder whether Zermatt would have become a famous year-round skiing resort had it not been for the disaster that befell the first party to climb the mountain 150 years ago. It’s a moot point, but there is no doubt that the death of a French guide and three British mountaineers — one L OCA L G U I D E S W OU L D of them an aristocrat S AY ‘ A NY T H I N G BU T T H E — placed Zermatt MAT T E R H O R N ’ in the headlines of Western newspapers in 1865, and led to an influx of visitors. They were not just indulging in a ghoulish impulse to see the scene of the tragedy: the Matterhorn is up there with Everest, Fuji and Kilimanjaro amongst the world’s most enthralling mountains and is undoubtedly iconic. In the imaginatively presented Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt, there is a wall of consumer objects that have used a picture of the 4,478m
(14,692ft) mountain to sell products — most notably Toblerone chocolate bars, which take their shape from the mountain. As Edward Whymper, the first man to reach the summit, said: “I was simply drawn to the Matterhorn by its majestic splendour. I therefore decided to besiege the mountain until either it or I capitulated.” It wasn’t an easy conquest. Even in the heyday of Alpine mountaineering in the late 1850s, few attempts were made and local guides would say, because of the many unsuccessful attempts — “anything but the Matterhorn”. Whymper’s 1865 climbing party of seven — four Britons, Michel Croz from Chamonix and two Peter Taugwalders, father and son, from Zermatt — set out from Monte Rosa Hotel at 5.30am on July 13. After picking up equipment left in the chapel at Schwarzsee, they made good progress up the eastern face of the mountain. Having found a suitable place to bivouac by midday, Croz and the younger Taugwalder climbed on to assess the route and save time on the following day. They reported no visible difficulties.
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MATTERHORN
Starting at dawn, they climbed unroped to about 4,300m and, finding no easy route, moved round to the north face and reached the summit at 1.40pm. Whymper and Croz became the first men on Matterhorn’s peak. They rested for an hour and enjoyed the magnificent clear views, as well as the elation of beating a party attempting the ascent from the Italian side, led by Whymper’s rival JeanAntoine Carrel. Whymper could afford to be magnanimous in victory, later writing that Carrel “was the man, of all those who attempted the ascent of the Matterhorn, who most deserved to be the first upon its summit”. The descent began with everyone roped together, though Whymper hastily returned to the summit to write everyone’s
name on a piece of paper, which he placed in a bottle. Going down, only one person moved at a time, but the inexperienced and exhausted Douglas Hadow needed constant help from Croz, in the lead, who helped him to place his feet in a secure position. Whymper and the young Taugwalder at the rear could not see what was happening, but a cry from Croz made everyone brace themselves. Hadow had slipped, knocking Croz from his hold, and dragging the Reverend Charles Hudson and Lord Francis Douglas with him. The rope between Lord Douglas and the elder Taugwalder broke, and the four men slid on their backs over a precipice, falling almost 1,220m to their deaths on to the glacier below. “From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to help them … so perished
HOW WHYMPER ALMOST DIED ON THE MATTERHORN THREE YEARS BEFORE CONQUERING IT!
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Edward Whymper, illustrated, in the 1860s
t’s not widely known that by the time Whymper finally climbed the Matterhorn, he’d already tried seven times to reach its summit. In one year, 1862, he tried three times. During his first, solo, attempt, he nearly perished in a terrifying fall, which he wrote about in his 1908 guide The Valley of Zermatt and the Matterhorn in a chapter entitled — with typical British understatement — ‘A Tumble’. “I pitched into some rocks … they caught something and tumbled me off the edge, head over heels, into the gully … I whirled downwards in a series of bounds, each longer than the last; over ice, now into rocks; striking my head four or five times, each time with increased force,” he writes. “The last bound sent me spinning through the air, in a leap of fifty or sixty feet, from one side of the gully to the other and I struck the rocks … as they fell onto the glacier, they told how narrow had been the escape from utter destruction. As it was I fell nearly 200 feet in seven or eight bounds. Ten feet more would have taken me into one gigantic leap of 800 feet onto the glacier below.” His fall finally arrested, he continues: “The situation was sufficiently serious.
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SUMMER 2015
The rocks could not be let go for a moment and the blood was spirting (sic) out of more than 20 cuts. The most serious ones were in the head, and I vainly tried to close them with one hand, while holding on with the other. It was useless; the blood jerked out in blinding jets at each pulsation … In a moment of inspiration I kicked out a big lump of snow, and stuck it as a plaster on my head. The idea was a happy one and the flow of blood diminished. Then scrambling up, I got, not a moment too soon, to a place of safety and fainted away.” Whymper managed to climb down to Breuil, Cervinia, where in spite of his attempts to retire “stealthily” to his room without a fuss, the alarm was raised. “Favre, the inn-keeper, demanded ‘Who is it?’. He screamed with fright when he got a light … and aroused the household,” says Whymper. “The natives were unanimous in recommending that hot wine mixed with salt should be rubbed into the cuts.” Surprisingly, this worked, and within days Whymper was ready for another crack at the mountain that fascinated and haunted him so profoundly. By Arnie Wilson, who once reached the Hörnli hut (3,260m) but wisely decided not to proceed any higher
skiclub.co.uk
24
MATTERHORN
our comrades!” Whymper wrote in his moving book, The Valley of Zermatt and the Matterhorn — A Guide, which was published in 1908. “The (surviving other) two men, THE FOUR MEN SLID paralysed by terror, OVER A PRECIPICE, cried like infants and FAL L I N G A L M O S T 1, 22 0 M trembled in such a T O T H E I R DEAT H manner to threaten us with the fate of the others. Old Peter became alive to the danger and swelled the cry, ‘We are lost! We are lost!’” Whymper spent the next two hours climbing convinced “that the next moment would be his last”, because the Taugwalders, “utterly unnerved, were
not only incapable of giving assistance, but were in such a state that a slip might have been expected from them at any moment”. Questions remain unanswered as to why the weakest rope the team carried — as a spare — was used to link the men, but the reaction was immediate: climbing was condemned as too dangerous, and Queen Victoria even asked the Lord Chancellor whether it could be outlawed. In the wake of the accident allegations were made that one of the men — in seeing their comrades fall — quickly cut the rope in order to save their lives. All three vehemently denied the accusation, however it would take until 2006 — some 141 years later — for the climbers to be exonerated. The final verdict came from
Tourism boomed in the wake of the ascent, and with the construction of the cog railway
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… OR FOR A M O RE GRACEF UL WAY DOW N THE M O UNTAI N Zermatt’s glacier at Klein Matterhorn is one of the few places in the world to offer skiing almost every day of the year, and attracts skiers from around the world. During the summer, eight lifts serve the corduroy-groomed slopes, which reach 3,899m. But you have to start early. The Matterhorn Gondola starts at 8am, but is closed by 2pm, as the midday sun turns the snow slushy. This, however, means a more relaxed contemplation of the mountain can begin early. The Papperla Pub is an ideal spot from which to admire the peak. And you can take in the Matterhorn in another way at Elsie’s Bar. Its signature drink — a peach liqueur, topped with whipped cream — could be said to resemble the shape of the mountain. Rosie Barcroft
the Swiss outdoor company Mammut who, working with hemp rope specialist Berger, made an exact replica of the rope used by the party. In a laboratory test the rope was clamped and exposed to gradually increasing pull. It tore when the strain reached 300kg, proving that the combined weight of the four climbers would indeed be enough to snap the rope. Croz and Hadow were buried in the small cemetery below the parish church of St Mauritius, but the body of Lord Douglas was never found. The remains of the Reverend Charles Hudson are buried under the altar of the English Church in Zermatt; its foundation stone was laid on June 29, 1869 and the walls are lined with plaques commemorating climbing fatalities. Two stained-glass memorial windows were made for Hudson’s Grade I listed church at Skillington, Lincolnshire. This year the resort will celebrate the first ascent, but will also commemorate those who fell. There are summer-long events planned, the festivities climaxing in a jubilee week — from July 10 to 18 — as the resort honours its “celebrated mountain”. On July 12 guests and residents will hike to a church service on the mountain, on the very path I found myself hiking. A memorial for all 500 dead and missing Matterhorn climbers will be consecrated, whilst the following day the route taken during that first the ill-fated climb to the summit will be illuminated. On the anniversary day itself, July 14, the mountain will be closed. However, the newly renovated Hörnli Hut, the point
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of departure for climbers setting out for the summit, will be re-opened at a ceremony during the day. There will also be a play, with a cast of more than 40 actors enacting the dramatic events of 1865. It will be performed at a specially erected open-air theatre above the Riffelberg railway station, between July 9 and August 29. To this day, the only beneficiary of the disaster is Zermatt. By the end of the 1860s the Mont Cervin and Monte Rosa hotels had both tripled the number of beds they offered, while the opening of the railway in 1891 brought yet more visitors. A lot has changed in the world of climbing since the time of Whymper’s ascent, and to date over 100,000 people have scaled the mountain. I, however, had no desire to risk life or limb in attempting to go any further. I was happy to settle for the beauty of the landscape and the charm of the hills, in the knowledge that I could do so for many years to come. Additional reporting by Arnie Wilson
skiclub.co.uk
Anthony Lambert was a guest of Switzerland Tourism (020 7845 7684; myswitzerland.com) and Swiss Travel Centre (020 7420 4934; stc. co.uk). In Zermatt he stayed at the Hotel Monte Rosa (+41 27 966 03 33; monterosazermatt.ch) and the Monte Cervin (+41 27 966 88 88; montcervinpalace.ch). For more information visit: zermatt.ch
Prestige, charm and relaxation Nendaz is situated at the heart of the Four Valleys region, which also comprises the mountain stations of Verbier, Veysonnaz, Thyon and la Tzoumaz. It is the largest connected skiing region in Switzerland, and the third biggest in Europe. The hotel is situated in the centre of Haute-Nendaz resort and 20 minutes from Sion airport and Sion railway station. The Hôtel Nendaz 4 Vallées & Spa is a treasure chest for relaxation seekers and mountain lovers.
Beautiful architecture, modern design, an exceptional and vast Spa area with great panoramic mountain views, indoor and outdoor pools, saunas… The hotel consists of 8 apartments, and 62 rooms & suites measuring 29 to 70 square metres. Seven have mezzanines and a 35 square metre balcony, and there are two suites measuring 70 square metres with a fireplace, private sauna and a balcony. All these rooms come with a luxurious bathroom. The hotel rooms and the vast 2’200 sqm Spa have all been decorated in the contemporary style of the Valais region.
Hôtel Nendaz 4 Vallées & SPA Chemin des Cibles 17 - 1997 Haute-Nendaz T +41 27 611 11 11 - info@hotelnendaz4vallees.ch www.nendaz4vallees.ch
Mention the code SKIH4V by email, phone or fax to receive 10% discount on all our packages in 2015
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Two restaurants and a piano bar A gourmet restaurant gives you the chance of sampling traditional cooking, as well as discovering dishes from all over the world. The hotel also has its own “Carnotzet� where you can enjoy specialities from the Valais in a picturesque ambiance.
www.boas-swiss-hotels.ch 0840 211 211
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
28
How do you solve a problem like
r m u s m e ?
For ski-mad Colin Nicholson the summer months are an inconvenient hiatus. So, in an attempt to convert him into a rambler, Elevation magazine sent him off in the footsteps of the von Trapp family as Austria celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first screening of The Sound of Music — and no other film since then has managed to capture the joy of summer in mountains in the same way. Indeed its star, Julie Andrews, was literally blown away singing the first line of the opening song. The downdraught of the helicopter swooping over the British actress to film her as she broke into ‘The hills are alive...’ knocked her over repeatedly. And since watching that opening scene, generations have fallen for the film and the allure of the Alps at their most verdant.
Bad Hofgastein is a popular tourist spot in summer and winter
So much so that this summer sees a host of events taking place in and around Salzburg to mark the anniversary, which are perfectly placed for the legions who go hiking in Salzburgerland as soon as the snows melt. But could Maria lead me to fall in love with the mountains in summer, when, as soon as I see the merest hint of white on a peak, I wish I were skiing? It is true that the hills were a stunning, almost unnatural green, as we drove from Salzburg airport to the Gastein valley. They gave the sepia hue of the monochrome mountains behind them the look of an old black and white photo — the relic of a season all but disappeared. And when we arrived in the attractive village of Bad Hofgastein, we immediately put on our hiking boots to wander around town in our shorts, before heading for dinner in a typical Austrian Stube — with its tables arranged around a tiled fireplace — that was as cosy as anything I have experienced in winter. For inexperienced hikers like us the trails are colour-coded in terms of difficulty like ski pistes — blue, red and black. And the next day, with the contempt that familiarity with the mountains brings (how hard could hiking be compared to skiing?), we started on a red. Zigzagging alongside the Kirchbach river, we climbed out of town, with the bells of the church tolling, as if calling us back to the abbey, through
Many ski resorts run lifts in summer to aid ramblers
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
COULD MARIA LEAD ME TO FA L L I N L O V E WITH THE M O U N TA I N S I N SUMMER?
forests and into open fields of spring flowers. Although it was only early May, we were soon peeling off layer after layer, as we sweated up to the Annencafé, where a breeze finally cooled us as we gazed over the Gastein valley. This is part of the giant Ski Amadé network, yet the pistes, which in Austria tend to be more naturalistic and rugged than in the big resorts of France, Switzerland or Italy, are so integrated into the landscape that you would struggle to identify the valley as being part of a ski area at all. The next day, having spent the evening recuperating at the Alpentherme spa, we opted for a much more suitable blue trail,
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the Hohenweg, with its gentle incline and even surface. Indeed at one point we met a man sweeping pine needles from the hard earth floor. This path has been recently improved, with tunnels dug into the rock under a spectacular waterfall, to replace a bridge that was carried away by the torrent. After a couple of hours, the sun was beating down on us and a sign pointing into the cool of the woods was marked ‘Poserhöhe café’, which would offer crisp apple strudel, amongst other of my favourite things. Despite the map clearly showing the path leading to it to be a red trail, this was too enticing. So we
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
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Historic Salzburg attracts many thousands of Sound of Music fans each year
A TRIP TO THE M O U N TA I N S NEEDN’T BE ALL ABOUT HIKING, E AT I N G A N D R E C U P E R AT I N G
headed up steps that were at times made of staircases of tree roots or slabs of rock, shedding clothing once again, until we finally made it to the café. Had we chosen a different route, we could have used ski lifts to spare ourselves the climbs. Four of the lifts run in summer, offering less hard-core hikers all the views without the effort. But it’s not the going up that’s the problem – it’s the coming down. My knees, which never complain, no matter how hard I ski, were none too pleased that my efforts going uphill were not rewarded with a lovely swoosh down a pristine slope. And I envied the poles of my fellow hikers. Had I been more prepared I would have bought some — you can now get spring-loaded ones to further ease the pressure on your joints — but instead, with von Trapp ingenuity, we fashioned our own poles out of fallen branches. A trip to the mountains needn’t be all about hiking, eating and recuperating. You can go on an excursion to the nearby Hohenwerfen fortress, which Sound of Music fans will recognise from the picnic scene in the movie, and which also holds
a spectacular, mediaeval-themed falconry display. Or to Zell-am-See, which was also the location for several scenes in the movies. Or indeed to Salzburg, a city I have only flown through when skiing. This tiny but enchanting provincial capital is where almost all of the anniversary events are taking place, such as live performances of the musical, puppet
Trumpeters at the Hohenwerfen fortress announce the start of the falconry display
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
performances, choir festivals and tours with singing guides, both walking and by bike, as well as a Sound of Salzburg dinner show, which also includes excerpts from Mozart. We opted for a Sound of Music location tour with Panorama Tours, the coach company that carried the original stars in 1964 from their hotels to the shoots, and which was subsequently so overwhelmed with demands from fans to be shown around that it started running tours in 1968.
The Sound of… What? How the worldwide hit failed to ignite Austrian audiences
A
Lofty snowcapped peaks tower above the verdant valleys
This is quite a task as, in the days before computer animation, director Robert Wise had to skip from destination to destination to get all the shots he wanted. It means that just seeing all the places where the song Do-re-mi was filmed takes nearly five hours. Even if you are not a fan of the film, the tour offers a good way to see the sights around Salzburg — though you are encouraged to sing along. True classical music aficionados will want to attend the Salzburg festival from mid-July to the end of August, which the real Von Trapp family singers did indeed perform at, although their dramatic flight from Austria was some years later. So has Maria persuaded me of the beauty of Austrian mountains in summer? For sure, but I feel I am not yet prepared enough to climb every mountain. Colin was a guest of the tourist offices of Gastein (gastein.com) and Salzburg (salzburg.info), as well as Thomson Lakes & Mountains (020 8939 0740; thomsonlakes.co.uk). He stayed at the Salzburgerhof (salzburgerhof.com) in Bad Hofgastein and Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt (radissonblu.com) in Salzburg. Thomson offers ten-day and 14-day twin centre holidays combining the Gastein Valley with Salzburg City with, for example, a week’s half-board in Bad Hofgastein and a week’s B&B in Salzburg costing from £1,405 per person based on two sharing in four-star hotels, including flights from London Gatwick and transfers. Activities can be booked using the tourist office websites. For more information about the region see: salzburgerland.com
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sk an Austrian about The Sound of Music and they will almost certainly tell you they have never watched the film — if indeed they have even heard of it. The movie is virtually unknown in Germanspeaking countries. However, a German film — ‘The Family Trapp’ — and its sequel, inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which ran from 1959 to 1963 on Broadway. This in turn inspired the 1965 Hollywood film, with each new production moving further away from the real story, although this is almost as dramatic. When Baron von Trapp, a retired U-boat commander from the Austro-Hungarian navy, proposed to Maria, on the advice of his children, the young trainee nun was so surprised she dropped an expensive vase. And when the real von Trapp family fled the country, they pretended to go hiking but in fact caught a train to Italy. Had they climbed over the Untersberg mountain in Salzburg, as in the film, they would have walked into Nazi Germany. But the family’s fascination with the mountains is real — they ended up settling in a ski resort — Stowe in Vermont on America’s east coast, where the von Trapps live to this day.
A family favourite across the world — but virtually unknown in German speaking countries
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RAFTING
Pushing the boat out Home to some of the biggest rapids in the world, America’s Salmon River is dubbed the ‘River of No Return’. Alf Alderson grabs his paddle and banjo and heads downstream…
The Middle Fork of the Salmon River runs through some of the wildest and most remote landscapes in mainland US. And such is the terrain, there are very few stretches of ‘slack water’ along its 100 mile length. It once went by the romantic, if ominous, name of the ‘River of No Return’, although this was actually based upon the fact that you couldn’t paddle back up against the current rather than the fact that anyone venturing down it was never seen again. Indeed, I find that things start off pretty quietly when, along with a party of 40-odd Texans, we access the river at the Boundary Creek ‘put-in’ point at 1,830m (6,003ft). Despite the river being less than dramatic here, the magnificent mountain scenery soaring above each bank certainly impresses. Even in July there are snow patches on the highest of the peaks, which rise to 2,750m, and as we float between them we’re hoping to spot some wildlife, which in this part of the world can vary from black bears, deer, elk and big horn sheep to cougars, grizzlies and wolves. The mellow waters of the upper part of the Middle Fork provide plenty of opportunity for us to sit back and watch the landscape drift by, and two of the guys, Jim and Dean, hang a line over the side and wait for a salmon or trout to bite (although this being a Wilderness Area, all fish are taken on a catch-and-release basis). There’s some bemusement amongst my new found Texan buddies as to how and why this lone Limey should have found himself in this most remote corner of the ‘Lower 48’, but whichever side of the Atlantic you come from there are plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as the spectacular mountain scenery drifts by.
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RAFTING
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The first day started late after we’d got sorted and filled in by guides Matt, Dave and Elsa on the dos and do nots of our six-day adventure, so we have just a few hours paddling before we pull over for our first night camping on the banks of the Middle Fork. We’re in two-man tents (I get my own as I’m the odd one out) on an idyllic white sand beach with a backdrop of the timbered Blue Mountains. Meals — cooked by the guides — are excellent and varied, there’s plenty of beer and wine, and it doesn’t take long to crash out to the mellow sound of the river. After another day’s gentle sailing, I take a hike from the camp site up the steep canyon sides, where I’m able
I FLI P OUT OF MY ‘DUCKY’ AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TURBULENCE to get a feel for the true isolation and challenge that this landscape provided for the pioneers who stumbled through here less than two centuries ago. Away from the chatter and clatter of the camp, looking at the river flowing ceaselessly towards the distant Pacific Ocean and the peaks and forests bearing down from above, I can readily imagine the stunning, yet sometimes frightening, beauty that Idaho presented to those early travellers. Nor is it hard to understand why the native Sheepeater Indians — whose pictographs we occasionally see on riverside boulders — revered and worshipped such an uncompromising and elementary landscape. Back on the river, it isn’t until day three of the trip that white water starts to become a regular occurrence, and I flip out of my ‘ducky’ (a single-person inflatable kayak) at the first sign of turbulence. But, as more and more Class III rapids assault us, my confidence grows and my time in the water decreases. This is just as well, because it’s not long
Rafts tackle The Middle Fork of the Salmon River
until we’re nearing our first Class III to IV rapids. Things are getting serious now. One of them, Redside, is regarded as one of the US’s 50 classic rapids. It’s with no small measure of trepidation that I approach it alone in my ducky. I have Dean paddling alongside me in a second ducky, and we’re both shouting encouragement at each other as Redside approaches ever more rapidly — not that either of us can really hear each other above the roar of the water, but screaming at the top of your voice is good for your confidence, I think…
WE’RE IN TENTS ON A WHITE SAND BEACH WITH A BACKDROP OF TIMBERED BLUE MOUNTAINS
One of the camp sites on the banks of the river
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HOW RIVERS ARE RATED Just like ski pistes, rapids are graded depending on their difficulty to negotiate CLASS I (very easy)
CLASS IV (difficult)
Fast moving water with little riffles and small waves
long, difficult rapids, powerful waves, dangerous rocks, boiling eddies, constricted passages
CLASS II (easy)
CLASS V (very difficult)
waves up to three feet; some manoeuvring required
long, violent rapids, which pose a significant hazard to life in the event of a mishap
CLASS III (medium)
CLASS VI (limit of navigation)
rapids with numerous high, irregular waves capable of swamping an open canoe
rarely tackled and a definite hazard to life
All I can see as I struggle through the increasingly choppy water is a blur of white which marks the rapids. All of a sudden I am bouncing around, and getting a thorough soaking with, to be honest, no real idea where I am or where I’m headed. And, as for Dean, Heaven knows where he is? Amazingly we both shoot Redside without being tipped out of our craft, and it seems that coping with a rapid of this size boils down to a combination of anxiety and adrenaline, with ideally the adrenaline winning out and taking you through. It’s only afterwards that you realise it was also fun — and this being a primarily Texan expedition there’s a good deal of a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’ to go with it. The next day is very different — shafts of hot sunlight beam down from above the canyon walls to glimmer off the deep and fast flowing green waters. It’s a noticeable change from the clear, shallow river upstream where you could see each rock beneath the surface and the trout feeding on the bottom. There are still rapids to negotiate though, and at Devil’s Tooth Rapids I’m casually flicked out of my ducky by a solid wall of water. But the swim is fun, my pride isn’t hurt, and I’m even granted ‘honorary Texan’ status as a result. As we near the end of our adventure on the Middle Fork the river becomes increasingly placid and, now we’re almost 1,000m lower than our ‘put in’, it’s also noticeably warmer both in and out of the water. I’m feeling like a pro by now (well, sort of), and were it not for the dams downriver I’d be quite happy to carry on all the way to the Pacific. The Middle Fork is a tributary of the Snake, which joins the Columbia River, which eventually
Elevation
flows into the Pacific off the Oregon coast. On our way we’d seen deer, elk and big horn sheep. What’s more, I’d go back and do it again any time. Which kind of proves that it isn’t really the ‘River of No Return’…
Alf Alderson was a guest of River Odysseys West (rowinc.com), based in Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho, which organises white-water rafting trips from June to September. A six-day expedition costs from $1,565 (£1,015) and includes all specialist equipment, guiding, food and campsite accommodation. The company also arranges accommodation for the night before and after the trip in the mountain towns of Stanley and Salmon respectively For more details on rafting and travel in Idaho see visitidaho.org
Brace! The Redside rapids are in the US top 50 ‘classics’
SUMMER 2015
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EUROPE’S TOP RAFTING DESTINATIONS Inspired to grab a kayak and head to the nearest river? If so, here are some of the best options a little closer to home RHINE, Switzerland Between Ilanz and Reichenau is a 12.5-mile gorge — known as Switzerland’s ‘Grand Canyon’ — which holds a stretch of Class III to IV rapids that are amongst the best in the country and will have your adrenaline flowing as fast as the river.
NOCE, Italy Plunging between the magnificent Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy, the Noce rushes down the Val di Sole (Sun Valley). It provides the challenge of a spectacular series of Class V rapids in the Mostizzolo Gorge.
INN, Austria The Inn is a 510-mile tributary of the Danube flowing through Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The latter has the best rafting, in the Tirol, where the rapids generally vary from Class II to III which is not too challenging so will suit first timers. And, of course, the scenery is never less than glorious.
SJOA, Norway Arguably the best whitewater river in Scandinavia, the Sjoa has a range of rapids varying from Class II to V depending on water levels, but it’s not just about the adrenaline. The river flows through the heart of the beautiful Jotunheimen Mountains and rafting here provides a chance to get away from it all.
DOBRA, Croatia The translucent green water of the Dobra offer great rafting thanks to controlled flows via dams and accumulation lakes, ensuring good conditions year-round, and rapids up to Class IV.
UPPER TRYWERYN, Wales The National White Water Centre at Tryweryn in Snowdonia provides a superb variety of experiences from adrenaline packed adventures on the Class III to IV rapids of the Upper Tryweryn to more relaxing floats through Class II to III rapids on the Lower Tryweryn. The river is dam-controlled so even in a dry summer the waters still flow spectacularly.
ADVERTORIAL
Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg
© Adolf Bereuter_Bregenzerwald Tourismus
© Adolf Bereuter, Bregenzerwald Tourismus
There’s a lot more to this “typical Alpine region” in Austria’s Vorarlberg than meets the eye
Mountains, pastures, forests and 22 quaint little villages - a “typical alpine region” one would believe. Upon their first visit, however, travellers to the Bregenzerwald will be surprised at what this laid-back valley has to offer. It is, in fact, a genuine hotbed of novel ideas, aesthetic and functional design, conveying a sense of perfection, an amazing blend of traditional and contemporary architecture, innovative craftsmanship, fine dining and a string of cultural events.
NEW “Bregenzerwald Umgang” –12 village walks The way people in the Bregenzerwald deal with their environment is the subject of specially marked paths through the villages of the region. Take these paths and, by observing selected objects, experience how people here have shaped their lives, and continue to shape them. The “Bregenzerwald Umgang” walks communicate the villages’ typical visual style through the ages. They can be discovered in the landscape, on houses, public buildings and commercial buildings as well as on everyday objects. Each of the “Umgang Bregenzerwald” walks takes you between hour-and-a-half and four hours. On each walk, around 10 information columns draw attention to a building, to the special features of the cultural landscape, to artisanal or ecological details, and to facets of artistic, culinary or touristic works. Details of the objects are described in an accompanying folder. Furthermore, a book on the subject containing the background histories to the way of life in the Bregenzerwald is available. The information media are available from any one of the tourist information offices and from Bregenzerwald Tourismus. The cooking in the multi-award winning restaurants and inns uses regional products which enjoy a creative interpretation. The Bregenzerwald locals are true masters in the art of cheese production, especially of “alpine cheese”. The KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald, with its multitude of informative and pleasurable stations, is dedicated to cheese culture. So what is Alpine agriculture anyway? And where does the wood that architects and craftsmen use to such great effect grow? Bregenzerwald has many hiking paths that tell stories about the life and culture of the region and aspects that make it special. Some of the paths have even had artistic additions. The “admission ticket” for all alpine experiences is the Bregenzerwald Guest-Card, which is provided to all visitors for free who stay three or more nights in Bregenzerwald from May to October. The Bregenzerwald is located in the most westerly part of Austria, in the state of Vorarlberg. Close to Lake Constance, a neighbour of Germany, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
How to get there: By plane: Zurich (Switzerland), Friedrichshafen, Memmingen/Munich-West or Munich (all Germany).
Bregenzerwald Tourismus T +43 (0)5512 2365 info@bregenzerwald.at bregenzerwald.at/en
More about Vorarlberg www.vorarlberg.travel/en
Ski the world with Freshtracks
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It might be the height of summer but the Ski Club Freshtracks team is busy preparing for next season. Next year’s programme includes some epic holidays that are now open for booking. So if you’re after a truly memorable adventure away from the usual European resorts, Freshtracks is the place for you.
Heli sk iing in Britis
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BC Heli Adventure
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The first stop on this trip is Red Mountain Resort where you’ll have a great warm up with 4 full days to explore the area. You’ll be staying in the beautiful Prestige Mountain Resort in Rossland. From Red you’ll then travel onto the CMH K2 Rotor Lodge in the beautiful lakeside town of Nakusp, BC. This is located in the powdery playground of the Selkirks and Monashees mountain ranges, full of burly bowls, pillow lines and perfectly spaced trees. The K2 Clubhouse will be your base for 4 full days of heli skiing. To end the trip you’ll stay and ski in Whitewater for 4 nights at the Prestige Lakeside Resort Nelson. In the summer following the trip you’ll be contacted to choose your K2 skis, which will be then be delivered to you in time for the 2016-17 season.
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29 February – 12 March 2016 £4,299 per person (not including flights) Price includes your very own set of 2017 K2 skis!
Skiing
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wilde Arctic
The Finnmark Tour
O: Ste PHO T
Finnmark, 200km north of the Lyngen Alps, is an area of wild mountains and no people - one of Europe’s last untouched wildernesses. We are one of the few companies offering ski touring trips to this unique area. If you love to venture to remote areas with no one else in sight and enjoy amazing views of the high Arctic fjords then this is the trip for you. You’ll meet in Alta then move to the fjord side lodge where you will be based for the week. Your guide, Bruce Goodlad, will put a menu together and you’ll all cook communally. This is a great opportunity to extend your season into May, ski touring a new and completely different area.
ve Ro sset
24 April – 1 May 2016 £1,475 per person (not including flights)
Pristi
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ADVERTORIAL
Japa n-a u skiin g exp nique erien ce
Hokkaido Backcountry Adventure 16 - 26 January 2016 Circa £2,800 per person (not including flights)
wen i Loe
stein
Japan is a mythical place for many reasons, but for skiers it’s all about the powder. Combine this with a fascinating culture, great food and an onsen to soak in after every day’s skiing and you have the recipe for a truly memorable ski trip. This fantastic 10-day trip will explore the spectacular northern island of Hokkaido, mixing lifts and skins to ski as much of this powder mecca as possible. Your guide, Bruce Goodlad has developed the itinerary with local guides to maximise your time in the powder, far off the beaten track. You’ll ski a different area each day, ensuring that you get the most from your time in this powder paradise. The accommodation, mainly in traditional Japanese ryokan, will make this a trip full of local flavour.
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Canadian Backcountry Escape 27 February – 10 March 2016 £3,750 per person (not including flights)
Powder Highway Exploration 21 January – 4 February 2016 £2,499 per person (not including flights) The Powder Highway is a collection of resorts in Western Canada seemingly designed for off piste skiing and snowboarding: steep trees, open glaciers, pillow fields not to mention some of the most welcoming ski towns in Canada. The first stop on this 14-day trip is Revelstoke, where you’ll have three days to explore the extensive ski area and find your ski legs, before travelling onwards to the Valkyr Lodge, accessible only by helicopter. The last stop on the trip is Nelson skiing at Whitewater Resort. This is an amazing opportunity to experience a full week ski touring the authentic backcountry of British Columbia with expert guides.
This spectacular holiday explores some of the finest ski areas that Canada has to offer. The first stop on this trip is Kicking Horse Mountain Resort where you will have 4 full days to explore the area with your Ski Club Leader. You’ll be staying in the beautiful boutique Vagabond Lodge, perfectly located in Kicking Horse Mountain Resort a few steps from the gondola. From Kicking Horse you’ll then travel onto Meadow Creek, stopping off for a ski at Revelstoke en-route to break up the journey, before arriving at White Grizzly Lodge where the Adventures team will look after you and provide 5 days of amazing cat skiing.
For more information or to book a holiday, visit skiclub.co.uk/skiclubfreshtracks or call 020 8410 2022
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COASTEERING
Making a Jurassic splash Coasteering — scrambling up cliffs, and jumping into the sea — is one of the UK’s fastest growing water sports. Rosie Barcroft headed for Dorset’s Jurassic Coast… only to remember that she had a fear of heights I’m standing, perched on a cliff peering over the edge. Below, the sea is crashing into the rocks. “Remember, only when you’re ready,” Dan Scott, my instructor, says. Now is not a good time to remember that I am scared of heights. Breathing deeply I recall all I’ve been taught: one foot in front of the other, crossed arms, and an eye on the horizon. I open my eyes and begin the mental countdown — three, two, one… I’m ‘coasteering’ — an activity involving climbing, cliff jumping and swimming — on England’s Jurassic Coast, ably guided by Dan, who is one half of Fore Adventure, a new outdoor adventure company based in nearby Studland.
I’d met my fellow adventurers — Jack, a gung-ho 15-yearold, his nervous father Lee, and Luke, a 20-something like me — earlier in the morning and now, wetsuit and helmet on, I’m standing peering into the abyss below. Dancing Ledge, on the Isle of Purbeck, is said to take its name from the effect the rock ledge has on the sea — making the water seemingly ‘dance’. The area used to play a pivotal role in Britain’s stone industry, and like other quarries on the Purbeck coast, the stone struck from the ledge was transported to its onward destinations by sea. The frequent traffic of ships to the cliff side meant that vessels carrying smuggled goods could
COASTEERING
Photo: Fore Adventure
also slip in and out unnoticed. These days, with the stone industry long departed, the area is increasingly popular with walkers and climbers, who come to explore the coastline and admire the ferocious waters from afar. The dramatic rock shelf, combined with the fact that there is no shoreline, creates violent currents, strong enough to pull innocent swimmers to their deaths. Swimming was a no go, so at the turn of the 20th century, a pool was blasted into the rock for the use of local prep schools… and now us. It was here that we’d make our first — small — jump. I launched myself in… Unscathed, we headed for the cliffs — from where we would fling ourselves into the waters below. The sea looked grey and menacing; undulating, before breaking and crashing into the cliff. My heart began to thump as I peered over the edge. Only a matter of hours ago, I’d awoken with the sun pouring in through the window, the curtains blowing in the sea breeze. Outside, seagulls were gliding on the warm air currents, their calls piercing through the low hum of nature and the dull tones of the sea. Coasteerers launch themselves into the sea I’d spent the night at The Pig on the Beach, the latest addition to the small group of shabby-chic hotels — or ‘restaurants with rooms’ as they call themselves — in Having dined on the most succulent steak for dinner, Studland. It’s a novel concept, where a staggering 80 I headed outdoors, for a turn around the garden per cent of the hotel’s vegetables are grown in its gardens. in the fading light. I wandered through the wild meadows “Everything starts in the garden,” Lora Strizic, the surrounding the hotel, staring across the steep chalk manager of The Pig told me the previous evening. We cliffs down to the intense blue sea. And now it’s time to were sitting in the dark wood-knotted bar, on homely sofas. hurl myself into the swell… The back of the bar was fitted with We spent the next hour WE SCRAMBLED UP THE glass and sunlight from outside scrambling up the cliffs, and was streaming through the making modest jumps into CLIFFS MAKING MODEST many bottles of spirits — several the sea. Once splashing in the JUMPS INTO THE SEA homemade — creating shimmering water, we’d swim into the secluded rainbows across the room. nooks and crannies of the coastline, and explore the many “What we can’t produce here, we buy from local small, pitch black, caves. On one ascent Dan stopped, and suppliers, all within a 25-mile radius. It was worth gently peeled some rusty coloured seaweed off the rocks. every minute spent forging relationships with nearby He’s also a keen forager, and knows exactly what is shops, or individual businesses — we have met some (and crucially isn’t) edible. wonderful people.” “This is one of my favourites,” he tells us. “It’s called Pepper Dulse and tastes, well, of pepper and the sea. I often add it to sauces and it goes really well with fish. Try some!” Naturally, we obliged. I felt my face scrunch up as the seaweed met my taste buds. It was an unusual flavour, but not an unpleasant on. The bitter taste surprised me like chilli, so on reflection I could imagine adding it to my home cooking. The jumps were getting bigger, but — through sheer determination — I kept going. Jack, on the other hand, seemed to possess no fear. He scampered up the rocks undeterred by the ever-increasing climbs and launched himself off each platform surfacing each time with a beaming smile, exposing his blue braces. His father, however, took things at a more leisurely pace, although refused to lag behind. “I’ll never live it down if I do,” he said with a determined grimace. Soon we were preparing for our final jump. “The longer you leave it the harder it gets,” Dan assured me, as I employed delaying tactics while climbing the cliff. Jack, The Pig on the Beach in Studland at sunset of course, was up and over in seconds, covering Dan
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Photo: Fore Adventure
in spray as he hit the water. Lee followed tentatively and emerged looking delighted — and relieved. And then it was my turn. My countdown was over. “Go!” I shouted and sprung forward. For a second I was weightless. Then my trainers struck the water, the cold water enveloped my body as I plunged ever deeper. Soon I resurfaced, elated, and whooped at the top of my voice. Slowly, we swam back to shore, giggling, and secretly wishing we could launch ourselves in again. But our adventure was over: “What I fancy now, is a really large steak”, said Jack. We all laughed. “Well”, I said, “there is this one place…”
Rosie Barcroft was a guest of The Pig on the Beach (01929 450288; thepighotel.com), which has doubles from £145 per room, per night. Fore Adventure (01929 450430; foreadventure.co.uk) offers three hours’ guided coasteering from £50 per person. Further information about what to bring, and its full range of activities can be found on its website. For more on outdoor adventures in England see visitengland.com
No turning back: a coasteerer at Dancing Ledge
CLUB NIGHTS
Club Nights ∧ Useful hints and tips ∧ Keep ski-fit ∧ Meet other members
08 July 6-10pm
£20 for 2 hours (Ski Club Members only) Bring a friend for the same price
then every Wed evening in September and October
Pay on the night but please email events@skiclub.co.uk to let us know you’re coming.
The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead
skiclub.co.uk/events
GET TO
TH E MOUNTAI NS
ServiceMark™ accredited
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E-BIKING
Uphill is e-asie peasie Home to the world’s toughest downhill course, in winter Kitzbühel is synonymous with high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled sport. But once the snow melts, the pace of life slows, and as Michael Cranmer finds, there are even electric bikes to take the strain out of cycling Some ski resorts can look brutal off-season, pistes littered with detritus, eroded mountainsides, and sad-looking gondolas consigned to their sidings. Kitzbühel, on the other hand, looks picture-postcardperfect. Alpine flowers speckle the meadows, impossibly green grass rustles in the warm breeze, and the sun sparkles off lakes, wohlbefinden (well-being) is in the air. Everything here is aimed at getting active. There are 1,000km (600 miles) of marked hiking trails, buses, umpteen mountain huts for Kaffee und Kuchen or full-blown lunch, and lifts to whizz you up if you feel lazy. I was feeling lazy. But not that lazy. And instead of relying on my legs to take
me uphill, I opted for a new way, electric mountain biking. Kitzbühel is spearheading the trend with 275 bikes and 75 rental and battery exchange stations, as well as guided e-mountain bike tours. Kitted-out with helmet and rental bike, I joined guide Ludwig Götzendorfer for a jaunt. The bike itself looks conventional, bar the battery strapped on the frame. The only other giveaway is a selector on the handlebars by which you regulate the input — ‘low’ for flattish bits, ‘high’ for uphill. I left mine on ‘high’ for minimum effort. Gear changes are as on a normal bike. So, leg over the saddle, I set off. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the kick of acceleration that the motor produced as it propelled me along at an alarming rate. The principle
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Photo: Medialounge
E-BIKING
Mountain biking through Kitzbühel can be made easier with e-bikes
is simple: you still pedal, but your input is magnified by the electric motor, a little like receiving a hefty shove from an invisible hand as you tootle along. It’s exhilarating and liberating at the same time. Instead of having to stand up in the pedals up steep bits — puffing and panting I S HOT U P T H E — you remain M OU NTA I N T RA I L S seated and L I K E W I GGO composed, able to watch the world go by in a dignified fashion. Ludwig led us up a twisting trail around Kitzbühel’s lake district and the rolling hills of the Bichlach area — but even without a guide, finding one’s way is easy, as each trail and junction is clearly marked. The first ‘real’ hill we met would have certainly been a get-off-and-push situation, but with the trusty shove-in-the-back, I shot up mountain trails like Wiggo. The e-mountain bikes are heavier than standard models, so gather momentum quickly on descents. Thankfully, beefed-up disc brakes slow the machine, and prevent
Elevation
novice users like me from ending up wrapped around a pine tree. We covered about 30km in just a couple of hours, with many photo-stops en-route. Keeping an eye on the e-mountain bike’s equivalent of a fuel gauge is essential. The range depends on your weight, speed, amount of uphill, among other things, but should you drain the power, there are exchange stations dotted around the mountains, where you can swap your dead battery for a fully charged one. At my age (67, if you must know), I managed the downhill bits with ease, and the flat sections were a doddle. Without my trusty e-mountain bike, however, I would have undoubtedly struggled with the ups. I pedalled a little, to show willing, and my feeling of smugness as I whizzed along was delightful. After the e-excitement, I’d exhausted all available excuses, and it was time to get to grips with hard-core Kitzbühel, by hiking the Streif. It’s the ultimate prize on the World Cup Downhill circuit to win on the Streif. Many have tried, few have
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Kitzbühel’s Geiringer Weiher Lake Photo: Medialounge
succeeded, but only one man has achieved it five times: Didier Cuche, whose last victory was at the ripe old age of 37. The winners’ names are inscribed on the side of the Hahnenkamm gondolas. I took Didier’s cabin to the top, with a plan to walk the course and see what all the fuss was about. It transpires that walking the actual course is, a) too impossibly steep in parts, and, b) too dangerous. Instead, hikers can follow a marked route, which provides viewpoints of the course, numerous information boards, and, in places, giant television screens, on which pictures of past races are displayed. Ever optimistic, I set my watch in the start hut. The course is just over 3km long, and the racers average a tad under two-minutes, top to bottom. Standing in the start-gate, with its cool interior, I could almost smell the adrenaline of the world’s toughest skiers. Wild flowers carpet the piste, but for the race the snow is groomed flat, and water-injected to ensure it’s bulletproof. There’s a palpable sense of this drama as I follow the path that criss-crosses down the racecourse. I picture Ski Sunday scenes in my head as I imagine the atmosphere here on race day. Directly below two red race gates mark the Startschuss. Already travelling at 60mph — and gaining speed — the racers’ next reference point is another set of control gates, seemingly on the very edge of space. Welcome to the Mausefalle (mousetrap). The racers tuck their knees to their chests as they fly through the air, before touching down 60m below on a slope where — even in summer — it is impossible to stand. Then, just 22 seconds after pushing out of the gate they hit the Steilhang, an icy right-angle turn — one of the most feared on the World Cup circuit. Only another 1 minute and 37 seconds to go. Looking back up as I reach the bottom, I check my watch: 2 hours 50 minutes. Not bad, given I stopped for a beer en
route — a must for anyone out hiking in the summer sun. One of the best ways to unwind after a stiff walk is to partake in yoga, and one of the best spots is the nearby Geiringer Weiher Lake. With mats on the grass, local instructor Tania Wimmer coaxed me through the various poses. I relaxed, bees buzzing around, my mind drifting in and out of consciousness, soaking up the moment. Afterwards I take a dip in the lake — just me and the mountain. It’s a feeling the downhillers know well… just with added adrenaline.
A student in a yoga class by the Geiringer Weiher Lake
Mountain bike guide Ludwig Götzendorfer points the way
Michael Cranmer was a guest of Thomson Lakes and Mountains (020 8939 0740; thomsonlakes.co.uk), which offers a week’s half-board at the four-star Hotel Jägerwirt in Kitzbühel from £459 per person based on two sharing and including flights and transfers. For more information on the region see visittirol.co.uk and kitzbuehel.com
MEMBERS’ BENEFIT
10 reasons why it’s not just about winter!
MEMBERSHIP
The temperature might be rising, but that doesn’t mean you should put your Ski Club membership card away for the summer. Your membership works for you all year-round, with discounts on summer holidays, planning for next season’s ski trips, and savings on all your summer essentials. So keep your membership card handy this summer, and you might find yourself reaching for it as often as the sunblock, ice cream and floppy hat.
1. SKI CLUB NIGHTS Our new Club Nights provide members with the opportunity to have a monthly ski with friends old and new. You’ll also work on your technique, get some free coaching from qualified instructors, and meet some leading figures from the world of snowsports. All for just £20 for 2 hours’ skiing. 8 July, and then every Wednesday in September and October at the Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead
2. CAXTON FX CURRENCY CARD With a Caxton FX card you can load up your holiday money in advance, locking in at great exchange rates for currencies across the world. As a Ski Club member you’ll get £10 added for free to your opening balance. Visit partners.caxtonfx.com/skiclub for more info and to apply.
3. SANEF TOLLING Sanef is a motorway operator that provides you with a stress free way to drive around France. Spend less time at the toll plaza and get to your destination sooner by getting a tag and beeping through the automatic lane. Ski Club members benefit from free application – usually €10. Find out more in the discounts section on skiclub.co.uk
4. HOLIDAY DISCOUNTS We’ve teamed up with loads of tour operators to offer our members great savings, including 10% off summer and winter holidays with Neilson and Mark Warner.
5. SHOP ‘TILL YOU DROP! Need gear and camping equipment for all those summer festivals and warm weather activities? Our top shopping discounts include 20% off with Blacks and 15% off Cotswold Outdoor – in store and online.
6. SKI CLUB INSURANCE Our insurance policies aren’t just for winter sports – they’ll give you the cover you need for your summer adventures too, and include activities such as mountain biking, hiking and jet skiing. Visit skiclubinsurance.co.uk to find out more.
7. FRESHTRACKS DECEMBER HOLIDAYS Some of our most popular December Freshtracks trips are already on sale and filling up fast. Get the season off to a perfect start with our unique brand of group trips to some of Europe’s finest resorts, including Val d’Isère, St Anton and Andermatt.
8. SKI IN THE UK ALL SUMMER LONG Keep your ski legs loose and work on your technique throughout the summer with up to 15% off indoor snow slopes across the UK.
9. INFO AND ADVICE There’s a lot to consider when planning a ski trip. Which resort best suits your needs, how should you get there, what shiny new kit should you buy? The Ski Club’s Information Team doesn’t go into hibernation over the summer – they’re here all year long to answer your questions and give you advice. Call 020 8410 2009 to speak to one of our experts.
10. KEEP DREAMING The issue of Elevation that you’re reading right now is packed full of information and great articles to keep you going throughout the summer, and makes it that little bit easier to dream about next season’s skiing. And the first issue of Ski+board will drop through your letterbox before you know it.
TECHNOLOGY
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GEARING UP FOR A HIKE
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Summer’s here, and whether you’re planning a countryside walk, or an Alpine trekking holiday, Gabriella Le Breton picks some of this season’s best kit
1 BERGHAUS EXPLORER TREK PLUS BOOTS £130 It’s hard to beat these Berghaus boots for almost guaranteed outthe-box comfort. The hardy footwear features Berghaus’s patented outsole technology for consistent traction on uneven terrain. A plate provides torsional rigidity, while foam around the ankle provides support. berghaus.com
2 RAB SAWTOOTH PANTS £75 These trousers are crafted from ‘double weave stitch’ fabric, making them breathable yet wind-resistant. They combine comfort with technical details, such as the reinforced crampon patches, and under-boot attachment loops. ellis-brigham.com
Photo: Connor Hawkins
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3 FALKE TREKKING SOCKS From £15 Good socks are integral to a happy day’s hiking. Falke’s extensive trekking collection ranges from TK1 — high volume merino wool with its excellent wicking properties for “ambitious mountain tours” — to TK5, which are ultra light, for shorter walks. falke.com
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4 OSPREY TALON 33 £85 The Talon is an ideal daypack for light adventures. There are men’s and women’s designs for optimal fit, both of which come with ventilated and ribbed back panels, length-adjustable shoulder harnesses, and padded hip straps. There are also clips to attach trekking poles. ospreyeurope.com
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5 BLACK DIAMOND TRAIL BLACK POLES £55 These poles are as suited to casual weekend jaunts as they are to extended backpacking trips. They come with flick locks — allowing for height adjustability — and two different sized baskets, which can be changed depending on the season. ellis-brigham.co.uk
6 SUUNTO AMBIT3 SPORT £275 This watch ticks virtually every box an outdoor enthusiast could name. A large, uncluttered face makes it easy to read all the information, which includes altitude, atmospheric pressure, a digital compass, and, of course, the time. Built-in GPS allows you to track your distance, speed, and location, which can be downloaded to your computer or tablet. suunto.com
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7 RAB WOMEN’S LITE ALPINE JACKET £130 This Rab trekking jacket is a lightweight soft shell, designed to offer the perfect balance of weather protection and breathability. It features a fleece lining, so can be worn over a thin base layer, or directly over the skin. ellis-brigham.co.uk
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Ski+board magazine returns in the autumn All the latest news With major breaking stories in the Alps
FEB MAR 15
Fascinating features Tales from around the world written by some of the UK’s leading ski journalists
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Thinking of advertising in next year’s Elevation or Ski+board – the UK’s only ABC audited ski magazine? For more information see skiclub.co.uk/advertise, or contact Jack Daly at Madison Bell on 020 7389 0835 Overseas advertisers can contact Martina Diez-Routh on +44 (0) 7508 382 781 or martina.diez-routh@skiclub.co.uk
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Skiin + Ho g off-p Back w to or iste in coun ganise Euro pe’s try te a ONLI chno group unlik NE ely sk logy ONLY + Th i trip + freerid e W e be st pa eekend hot sp ot rty re sk sorts iing +
New ski holiday company Skibed provides packaged or à la carte stays in more than 120 resorts across Europe. Skibed offers accommodation in apartments, chalets or hotels as well as ski passes, equipment rental, lessons, ights and transfers.
Get an extra 5% discount on skibed.co.uk with the code SKICLUB valid until 15 September Alpe d'Huez / Cristal de l'Alpe 1 bed. apt sleeping 4 From 19 to 26 December 2015 (1 week)
£ 1,730* Flaine / Le Centaure 2 bed. apt sleeping 6 From 26 December 2015 to 2 January 2016 (1 week)
£ 2,130* Tignes / Le Télémark 3 bed. apt sleeping 8 From 13 February to 20 February 2016 (1 week)
£ 3,390*
* Prices quoted are for accommodation only excluding booking fees and insurance. The published offer are valid until 07/31/2015 and subject to special conditions, availability and speciied departure dates.
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FOR SKI CLUB GB MEMBERS
Camping with the family, exploring the far corners of the world or relaxing on a sunny beach; wherever your adventures take you this summer, Cotswold Outdoor has everything you need. With an extensive range of over 250 top brands including; Rab, The North Face, Ayacucho, Vango and many more, we offer the UK’s widest range of outdoor clothing and equipment.
STORES NATIONWIDE | COTSWOLDOUTDOOR.COM *Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Only valid on production of a Ski Club GB members card in store or discount code online. Offer expires 31.03.16.